1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to sensors and more particularly to a chemical micro-sensor.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,969 for a capillary electrophoresis apparatus including a capillary tube having an incorporated optical device, by Luis Hernandez, patented Jul. 20, 1993, provides the following description: “Capillary electrophoresis is a powerful separation technique making it possible to detect the presence of substances in detection zones of very small volume. This electrophoresis technique is particularly advantageous for application in the medical and biological field, with electrophoretic migration taking place either in a buffer or else on a gel.”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,300 for a laser-excitation fluorescence detection electrokinetic separation, by Richard Zare and Ernst Gassmann, patented Jun. 23, 1987, provides the following description: “A fluoroassay method for detecting the presence of a target species in an electroosmotically pumpable fluorescible liquid sample which comprises: a.) placing said sample into one end of an electroosmotically pumpable-liquid-full narrow bore double open ended walled channel having a cross section dimension of not more than 500 μm and having at least a section which is translucent; b.) applying an effective electroosmotic pumping potential to said pumpable sample and pumpable liquid thereby transporting the sample through the channel; c.) irradiating the sample with coherent radiation of a wavelength effective to excite fluorescence in said sample; and d.) detecting a change in the fluorescence emitted through the translucent section of the channel as the target species moves past the translucent section.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,663 for an automated electrophoresis and fluorescence detection apparatus and method, by Waterhouse et al, patented Dec. 21, 1999, provides the following description: “Improved detection methods and apparatus which may be used individually or in combinations enhance the ability of the electrophoresis apparatus to detect fluorophore-labeled materials in short periods of time. One such apparatus comprises a housing adapted to receive an electrophoresis gel holder; an excitation source of electromagnetic radiation having a frequency effective to induce emission of electromagnetic radiation from the fluorophore; a plurality of optical fibers for delivering electromagnetic radiation from the excitation source to a linear array of excitation/detection sites on the gel holder, optical switching means for sequentially directing electromagnetic radiation into one of several pre-defined groups of the optical fibers; detection means such as a photomultiplier tube, or an array of photomultiplier tubes for detecting emission from the fluorophore induced by a radiation from the excitation source; and means for correlating a detected emission with the switching of the excitation electromagnetic radiation such that a given emission may be linked with the excitation/detection site being irradiated. For example, the optical switching means may alternate between directing radiation from the source into every other optical fiber, or may provide radiation in rotation to every third or fourth fiber. Alternatively, a spot array generation grating can be used for dividing an incident beam of coherent radiation into an array of excitation beamlets and directing each excitation beamlets to an excitation/detection site on the electrophoresis gel. Light emitting diode disposed to deliver excitation energy to an array of excitation/detection sites may also be used. This latter form of the apparatus is particularly advantageous due to the low costs of light emitting diodes (LEDs) compared to coherent light sources (e.g., lasers).”
The article, “Electromanipulation and Separation of Cells Using Traveling Electric Fields,” by Talary M S, Burt J P H, Tame J A, and Pethig R, 1996, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phy. 29 219802203, provides the following description: “Apart from their use as particle separators, such micro-electrode devices are also envisaged to form integral components in the development of ‘biofactory on a chip’ technology.”